Systems and methods for removing carbon monoxide from whole blood are provided. In one configuration, an extracorporeal phototherapy system includes an oxygenator and a light source configured to output light and arranged to emit the light output by the light source onto at least one surface of the oxygenator. The oxygenator includes a plurality of membrane layers each having a plurality of microporous hollow fiber membranes. The plurality of microporous hollow fiber membranes each include an external surface and an internal channel. Each of the plurality of membrane layers may be rotationally offset with respect to an adjacent layer. The oxygenator further includes a gas inlet port in fluid communication with a first end of the internal channels, a gas outlet port in fluid communication a second end of the internal channels, a blood inlet port, and a blood outlet port.

A device for mass transfer between blood and a transfer medium, in particular a gas/gas mixture, includes a chamber through which blood can flow and in which a plurality of mass-permeable hollow fibers of at least one hollow fiber mat, in which the hollow fibers are held at a spacing by way of warp threads, are disposed in the form of a wound or folded hollow fiber package, wherein a transfer medium is able to flow through, and blood is able to flow around, the hollow fibers, and wherein the density of hollow fibers varies locally in the hollow fiber package in the cross-section perpendicular to length of the hollow fibers. Hollow fiber packages and methods of manufacturing thereof are provided in which the hollow fibers are held at a spacing by warp threads, in which the spacing between adjoining hollow fibers is locally increased, in particular compared to a predominantly equidistant spacing between the hollow fibers.

Membrane oxygenators useful in a variety of medical situations, including various short-term procedures and relatively longer-term life support, and components of membrane-based oxygenators, such as conditioning modules for exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide during extracorporeal conditioning of blood, are described. A conditioning module includes a plurality of mats of hollow fibers and a potting material disposed throughout the peripheral edges of the mats to create a circumferential seal that defines a passageway through the plurality of fiber mats having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. The circumferential seal defines an effective fiber length for each of the hollow fibers. A resisting member is disposed across the proximal ends of at least some of the hollow fibers and is adapted to resist fluid flow into each of the hollow fibers based on the effective fiber length of the particular hollow fiber.

The invention relates to a method for producing a device for a mass transfer between two fluids, wherein at least one hollow-fiber mat (9) is wound on an at least partly hollow core assembly (1, 1a, 1b, 2), and the formed coil is inserted into a housing (10). The assembly of the housing (10) and the coil is then sealed (10), in particular potted, with a sealant at the opposing axial ends in the regions between the hollow-fiber ends and the housing. The core assembly (1, 2) is made of at least two axially adjacent core parts (1, 1a, 1b, 2) arranged one behind the other, at least one (1, 1a, 1b) of which has a hollow design, and the core parts (1, 1a, 1b, 2) are kept in specified axial positions relative to each other, in particular at a distance to each other, by means of at least one aid element (7) at least over the period of the sealing process and preferably over the period of the winding process as well. After the sealing process and the removal of the at least one aid element (7), at least the axially end-face core parts (1, 1a, 2) are kept in their relative positions to each other by means of the sealant. The invention also relates to a coil, a core assembly, and a core system.

The present disclosure is directed toward membrane biofilm reactors primarily comprising microorganisms that produce chemical fuel products or precursors thereof. Reactors of the present disclosure can primarily comprise acetogens, a methanotrophs, and/or Methanosarcina acetivorans.

One or more polymeric hollow fiber membranes are pyrolyzed to form one or more hollow fiber CMS membranes by directing a flow of pyrolysis gas through a polymeric membrane cartridge (including a porous center tube around which one or more green, polymeric, hollow fiber membranes is arranged) or a bundle of polymeric membranes (including a plurality of green, polymeric hollow fiber membranes oriented so that their ends are disposed with ends of the bundle) in a direction perpendicular to a length direction of the cartridge or bundle in order to sweep away off-gases that are formed during pyrolysis.

A device for extracorporeal blood circulation includes a potted body having an oxygenator module including at least two of a plurality of circular hollow fiber mat layers, a heat exchanger module including at least two of the plurality of circular hollow fiber mat layers, a blood inlet port adjacent a first end of the potted body and a blood outlet port adjacent a second end of the potted body. The device includes a gas inlet and outlet port and a fluid inlet and outlet port. A first of the plurality of hollow fiber mats includes a plurality of hollow fibers aligned in a direction that is angled relative to a direction of alignment of the plurality of hollow fibers of a second of the plurality of hollow fiber mats and, the plurality of hollow fiber mats are aligned to have the same orientation as one another.

A heat exchanger for a blood circulation circuit includes a hollow fiber membrane layer having a plurality of laminated hollow fiber membranes 31. Each of the hollow fiber membranes 31 has a barrier layer 5 having a hydrogen peroxide barrier property, and the barrier layer 5 has an oxygen permeability coefficient of 6 cc.Math.cm/m.sup.2.Math.24 h/atm or less at 25 C.

A membrane biofilm reactor including a vessel defining a volume is disclosed. The reactor also typically includes a first and second plurality of hollow fiber membranes. Each hollow fiber membrane generally has an outer surface and a lumen, and is located within the volume. The reactor further preferably includes a first and second gas feedstock. The first gas feedstock is provided through a first inlet in fluid communication with the lumens of the first plurality of hollow fiber membranes. The second gas feedstock is provided through a second inlet in fluid communication with the lumens of the second plurality hollow fiber membranes. Finally, the reactor also typically includes a biofilm formed on the outer surface of the hollow fiber membranes and made up of methanotrophs, Methanosarcina acetivorans, or both. The first gas feedstock is preferably different from the second gas feedstock.

A blood processing apparatus includes an optional heat exchanger and a gas exchanger disposed within a housing. In some instances, the gas exchanger can include a screen filter spirally wound into the gas exchanger such that blood passing through the gas exchanger passes through the screen filter and is filtered by the spirally wound screen filter a plurality of times.